Entry Visa Now Required for Venezuelan Nationals

Nicaragua

Effectively immediately, Venezuelan nationals require a “consulted visa” to enter Nicaragua for both business and tourism.  The consulted visa requires a two-step application process and takes 45-60 days: a pre-approval from the General Directorate of Immigration, and a visa issued by the appropriate Nicaraguan consulate for the applicant’s residence.  Previously, Venezuelan nationals did not require a visa to enter Nicaragua.

For the pre-approval, the inviting entity must present the following documents to the General Directorate of Immigration:  

• Copy of the foreign national’s passport bio page and all pages with visa stamps;
• Invitation letter addressed to the appropriate Nicaraguan consulate for the foreign national’s residence;
• National-level police clearance from the country or countries of residence covering the past three years;
• Copy of the national ID (cédula) of the host company’s legal representative; and
• A guarantee deposit equal to the return airfare to the foreign national’s country of residence.
• If an individual is inviting the foreign national: Inviting individual’s salary certificate and pay stubs from the Social Security office, and a copy of his or her cédula.
• If dependents will accompany the foreign national, legalized originals of their vital records (birth and/or marriage certificates) must also be presented.

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

Venezuelan nationals seeking to travel to Nicaragua should allow an additional two to three months to prepare documents and file the applications needed to enter the country.  While the official decree related to this change has yet to be released, immigration officials have begun to implement the rule at all ports of entry.

Fragomen can assist clients with applications for the new visa requirement for Venezuelan nationals.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

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